Child porn accused judge punched in pub row

CIRCUIT Court Judge Brian Curtin, who has been charged with possessing child pornography, was assaulted in a pub over Christmas.

The 52-year-old was punched in the face during a row in the Greyhound Bar in Tralee, Co Kerry and sustained cuts to his nose.

The incident occurred in the bar on Rock Street on December 28. A woman sitting at a nearby table when the judge was assaulted is believed to have suffered a fractured leg in the resulting mêlée.

Aidan O’Connor, owner of the pub, yesterday said he wasn’t sure what happened.

“I’ve been asking questions, but no one saw anything,” he said.

However, Mr O’Connor said Mr Curtin was in the premises at the time, adding that he goes there to listen to music occasionally.

Gardaí said they received no reports of an assault on Mr Curtin and could not investigate without an official complaint.

Mr Curtin is due to go on trial at the Circuit Court in Tralee, in March, on a charge of knowingly possessing child pornography, under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, at his home, 24 Ard na Li, Tralee, on May 27, 2002.

His home was one of more than 100 premises raided by gardaí at the time under Operation Amethyst.

Mr Curtin has since made a number of court appearances.

Following his last appearance at Tralee Circuit Court before Judge Carroll Moran, on November 11, his solicitor, Robert Pierse, claimed he and Mr Curtin were harassed and bombarded by the media as they left the courthouse.

Mr Pierse said his client was very distressed following what he described as an extremely disturbing scene on the street outside the courthouse.